


Magicians and Tigers

by titaniumsansa



Series: Sunkelles Birthday Extravaganza 2017 [3]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Angst, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Flashbacks, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Past Child Abuse, YJ
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-19 06:20:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 8,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10634058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/titaniumsansa/pseuds/titaniumsansa
Summary: Artemis is raised by Sportsmaster, never joins the Team and meets Zatanna a while later as she's Tigress. Zatanna tells her magicians and tigers go well together. Things get messy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunkelles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkelles/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUNKELLES!

The League has kept track of Sportsmaster and his daughters, Cheshire went off the grid after she and Red Arrow got serious. Tigress  _ and  _ Cheshire, Zatanna’s always wondered what was up with that family and cat names. Tigress may work with Sportsmaster, but she’s different than some of the rough villains the League keeps tabs on. Tigress has never killed anyone, never seriously harmed a hero and doesn’t seem to have an agenda. Still, she needs to be taken down by someone, she’s still a villain.

Zatanna meets her during her first month of being a Leaguer, she’s taller than Zatanna thought. 

“Zatanna Zatara,” Tigress says and Zatanna looks at her.

“I know what you’re after. You can’t have it because it’s not here,” Zatanna smiles and Tigress looks at her through the mask.

“I’m going to check anyway,” Tigress informs her and Zatanna laughs.

“Be my guest. I don’t know why you’d need a magical artifact anyway,” Zatanna quips and lets the villain into the building. 

“Not going to reveal my evil plan,  _ Zatanna, _ ” the blonde sighs and Zatanna follows her through the museum. Tigress seems pretty uninterested in fighting her and Zatanna wonders what she’s up to. 

“You know, tigers and magicians go together pretty well,” Zatanna says in the silence.

“What, you want me to be the Joker to your Batman or something? I’m not really looking for that kind of a relationship. Or that much work,” Tigress says and Zatanna laughs.

“We could be good together,” The magician says and Tigress rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, you can pull me out of a hat or make me jump through a ring of fire for a crowd,” Tigress retorts and Zatanna laughs harder. Tigress knows the artifact isn’t there but she’s pretty sure the blonde is  _ lingering _ .

“I wouldn’t do either of those things. Besides, I’m not sure you’d fit in my hat, it’s pretty small. I just keep bunnies in there anyway,” Zatanna jokes and Tigress sighs.

“Is this the part where we fight or are you just going to let me off the hook because I’m not doing anything evil with a capital E?” Tigress asks. Zatanna whispers a spell and Tigress sidesteps to avoid it, quick and out of the building.

“Better luck next time,” Tigress says and Zatanna watches her escape, the getaway car down the street in seconds. Zatanna sighs, the tracking spell’s going to be helpful to the League. Maybe Tigress will give them some information.


	2. Chapter 2

“Fuck,” Artemis cusses as she’s hit with something, wrapping around her so she can’t move. Unfortunately that also means she’s about to hit the concrete face first and there’s nonsense shouted at her and she closes her eyes. Artemis waits and opens her eyes. She’s a few inches away from the concrete but she’s not falling. More gibberish hits the air and she swears loudly.

“Zatanna,” it’s almost a growl.

“The one and only,” Zatanna says and appears in her view as she moves her upright. Panic sets in, she’s caught. Zatanna Zatara is a Justice League member, not some cop she can flirt with or knock out. She can only move her head, everything else is frozen and she knows Zatanna is supposed to be one of the Good Guys but the fear that runs through her ignores that. Artemis closes her eyes, she’s fucked and she feels like she can’t breathe.

“Hey, you okay?” Zatanna asks and Artemis shoots her a look of disgust.

“Does it matter? I’m a bad guy. You’re gonna drop me off with local cops and I’ll end up in Belle Reve,” Artemis says. It’s settling in, she’s fucked. Jade never got caught.

“Maybe not,” Zatanna says and holds her close for a moment before she says something.

* * *

 “We’re at the Hall of Justice. You have information we need,” Zatanna says and snaps her fingers. Artemis follows behind her, still paralyzed with magic and they enter a normal police interrogation room.

“Little weird to pick this place to torture it out of me. I’m not going to give you anything. Do you worst,” Artemis says but she’s distinctly aware of the wrapping disappearing from her, she looks down to look at it.

“You used a bow? You are dramatic,” Artemis comments and Zatanna rolls her eyes as she takes weapons off Tigress.

“Listen, if you wanted me naked, you should at least buy me dinner first,” Artemis says, feeling almost naked. All her bits are covered but all she has now is her hands and feet. No knives in her shoes, the backups she thought she had hidden well, Zatanna has it all on the table.

“Zatanna?” Artemis asks, her hands are too close and the brunette takes her mask off.

“I have rights, you know. Lawyers exist,” Artemis says and Zatanna moves Artemis’s hands, cuffs her to the table. She drops down to get her feet too, grabs the weapons and mask and shuts the door behind her. Artemis swears again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is dark, at least I think so. Took creative liberties with how the League handles things and their protocol.

“Do I tell Red I have his sister-in-law? She just kept-she thought I was going to torture her,” Zatanna says and Dinah looks at her.

“Not yet, I’m going to talk to her,” Black Canary says and Zatanna nods as she pours herself a cup of coffee. The night shift is always interesting but this is different. Real criminals, murderers, they don’t ever look that afraid to be captured. If the Justice League file on her is right, she’s barely a year older than the blonde girl chained to their interrogation table. The thought settles like impending food poisoning in her stomach.

* * *

 “Artemis?” Black Canary stands and the girl flinches at her real name.

“I want a lawyer,” Artemis says and Black Canary looks at her for a long moment, Artemis wishes she could fidget.

“That’s not how this works,” Black Canary says and gives her a sad smile, a long look that makes Artemis almost visibly uncomfortable. Canary leaves the room without saying anything else.

"Just get the information out of her and we’ll go from there,” Black Canary sighs. The interrogation room cameras are recording, Zatanna needs to keep a neutral face. The magician slips back into the room.

“Llet em gnihtyreve uoy wonk tuoba eht Eugael fo Swodahs dna rieht snalp,” Zatanna demands, power rushing through with the words. It’s a few long minutes, Artemis doesn’t have the ability to hold anything back, and Zatanna feels a flash of fear as Artemis finally stops, head bent forward with exhaustion. The blonde inhales sharply and moves her head back up to look at Zatanna. Tears are coming out and there’s hatred in those eyes.

“Fuck you,” Artemis hisses and Zatanna usually rolls her eyes at stuff like that, villains swear at her all the time. This is different and this was wrong, she thinks as she unlocks the cuffs.

“I’m sending you to Roy,” Zatanna says and whispers something that allows her to move, but before she can move a muscle, Zatanna sends her away in a puff of smoke.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in this AU, I like to think that most of the same drama happened like in the YJ universe just with Artemis being evil like she usually tends to be. Also I love the idea that Red Arrow and Arsenal are like twins or brothers and manage to get along okay.

Jade stares at her, naked face and weaponless and they know.

“Zatanna texted me and told me they caught Artemis, got some info and sent her here,” Roy says, looking at the text again.

“They’re gonna kill me,” Artemis tells them quietly, eyes wide and full of fear.

“What happened?” Jade asks, she knows her husband probably just opened his mouth, she puts her hand up to stop that.

“Zatanna made me tell them everything. Everything about the Shadows. They’re gonna find out I was the mole and they’re going to kill me, Jade. I shouldn’t even be here, you two have Lian, and they’re gonna think you were involved. I mean archer boy’s League but Jade I can’t be here,” Artemis says and Jade nods and pulls her to the guest bedroom, door shut.

“Here’s a burner phone, change of clothes and some gear,” Jade says, pulling a bag out of the closet.

“Thanks. I owe you,” Artemis says and Jade shakes her head.

“The League fucked you over. It’s the least I can do. Fucking superheroes,” Jade mutters and Artemis laughs.

“Pretty sure you know something about that,” Artemis says as she changes. Jade rolls her eyes.

“Get moving,” Jade says but there’s love in her voice as she says it.

* * *

 

“You were way out of line,” Roy hisses and Zatanna waits for him to finish.

“We’re the Justice League, not the Get-People-Killed-League,” Roy says angrily.

“Pretty sure that’s almost their name. It’s just information, we’ve already gotten a dozen criminals sent to Belle Reve with that information, Tigress had a lot of clearance,” Zatanna tries to sound positive.

“Yeah, but when they try to find out who leaked that information, they’re going to look at her and my wife and I are going to have to bury her. They’re not the fucking League of Hugs or some shit. She’s in danger, because of you,” Roy says coldly.

“It was her choice to join the League of Shadows. She knew those risks, and she works for them anyway. She’s not above the law, Red. None of them are. Or at least, they shouldn’t be,” Zatanna says.

“She told me that she asked you and Canary for a lawyer,” Roy says and Zatanna sighs.

“We weren’t arresting her, we aren’t the police,” Zatanna excuses.

“You made my sister-in-law cry. If you weren’t League-” Roy trails off.

“You don’t even want to know what would happen to you. Arsenal’s pretty fond of her too, you know,” Roy warns and Zatanna waits until he’s walking away to swallow the lump in her throat.

* * *

 

“Hey, hey can you hear me?” An unfamiliar voice is talking and Artemis kind of just wants him to go away so she can die in this alley in peace.

“Fuck off,” Artemis slurs and someone touches her.

“I’ll kick your-fuck! Ow! Stop! I have broken ribs,” Artemis manages to say through the strong haze of pain and she manages to look long enough to see who’s trying to save her life.

“Oh fuck,” she says as she looks at the Green mask. Green Arrow. Her eyes close and she doesn’t hear him speak, doesn’t see the texts he sends.


	5. The Quiver (AKA the Arrow Cave)

“Can you hear us?” Artemis hears a familiar voice.

“You sound like Zatanna Zatara. My condolences,” Artemis says and there’s quiet laughter for a moment, distinctly male.

“I am Zatanna,” she says. Artemis opens the eye that’s not swelling up to look at her.

“Where’s Green?” Artemis doesn’t mean to but the words come out slurred, like she’s horribly drunk.

“Right here,” he says and her vision blurs before her eyes close.

* * *

 

“What are you doing?” a familiar voice says, demanding and Artemis manages to open one eye. The other one won’t open and she can feel pain, but it feels distant. There’s people looking at her, she recognizes the voice but not the people, not immediately.

“Roy,” Artemis says, the word comes out rough.

“Roy,” Artemis tries again and there’s a gentle pressure to her uninjured hand.

“I’m here. Along with a ton of the League,” Roy says and she knows it’s the original Roy, not her brother-in-law.

“Wait. I’m alive,” Artemis says and Roy squeezes her hand gently.

“Yeah. Zatanna managed to heal most of it up. Green called me and Red, but I’m here. Red couldn’t make it. Don’t try to move, you’re still pretty messed up,” Roy says and she manages to look at him.

“The League of Shadows tried to kill me. They left me for dead because of the League,” the words come out unfiltered and she forgets they aren’t alone.

“Zatanna,” Roy says the word like a warning.

“I”m trying to help. She has broken bones,” Zatanna snaps at him.

“He’s gonna kill them, Roy. He’s gonna-” Artemis stops as something touches her messed up arm.

“Hold still,” Zatanna warns and Artemis tenses. 

“Who are they? Who’s going to get killed?” Roy asks and Artemis closes her good eye.

“Dad said if I stayed in the League of Shadows, he wouldn’t go after Jade. He’s gonna go after her and Roy. Lian,” Artemis groans and it feels like someone set her ribs on fire. Zatanna’s eyes widen and her throat feels like it’s closing up. Black Canary looks guilty too and Zatanna looks at the book she’s holding.

“I’ll call Red,” Green Arrow says and someone makes a noise of agreement.

“Artemis, do your ribs feel okay now?” Zatanna asks hesitantly.

“Everything else hurts. I think they broke my face. I’m never gonna get a girlfriend now, Roy. I’m doomed,” Artemis says and Roy shoots a look to Green.

“The painkillers might have made her a little loopy,” Green admits.

“You’re gonna be fine,” Roy promises as something cold touches her closed eye.

“Careful, Batman,” Zatanna says. 

“Batman? Roy you never talk about Batman ever. Do you think he’d adopt me? My dad wants me dead and my mom  _ is  _ dead. Or am I too old?” Artemis asks and Roy doesn’t look at Batman because he wants to laugh.

“We’ll protect them,” Batman promises instead of answering.

“I tried. I tried to keep them safe. Tried to play the game. I guess I suck at being bad, huh?” Artemis tries to look at whoever’s close, but she’s tired.

“I’m putting her under, all the serious stuff should heal during that,” Zatanna says.

“Roy-don’t leave me here alone,” Artemis garbles and he finds her hand again.

“I’m right here, Ar,” he promises. Artemis closes her eyes.


	6. Indoor Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I've been on a "what if Zatanna lives in Shadowcrest after she turns 18" kick but I don't think she'd want this Artemis in Shadowcrest, and she lives in an apartment anyway.

“I didn’t know. I didn’t know that’s why she’s was with the League of Assassins. I didn’t think her father would want to kill her over leaving or being a mole,” Zatanna says.

“Sportsmaster cares more about his reputation than he cares about his family. Always has. Green Arrow and Arsenal will take care of Red Arrow and their family. For now, I need you to heal Artemis and get her someplace safe,” Batman says.

“Wouldn’t she be safer somewhere else? Like with Black Canary? Or you? Or a Green Lantern? Or anyone else?” Zatanna asks.

“You and Doctor Fate are the only ones with magic to keep her hidden from the Light,” Batman replies, checking Artemis’s pulse.

“I’ll hide her. Give me a minute,” Zatanna says.

* * *

 

“I got the important stuff from her apartment,” Roy says and Zatanna sighs.

“Guess I’m really going to have to live with her, huh?” Zatanna asks and Roy nods.

“She’s not a terrible roommate. I can vouch for that,” Roy offers and Zatanna mutters a spell to magic the box in Roy’s arms to her apartment.

“Yeah, she’ll be great if she doesn’t kill me in the middle of the night,” Zatanna mutters and Roy rolls his eyes at that. 

“Do you need help getting her to your apartment? She’s still passed out,” Roy asks and they watch Oliver and Bruce talk to Canary.

“No. She’ll wake up when she’s healed. I’ll have her call one of you when she’s up,” Zatanna promises and Roy nods.

“Better get out of the city before they find out she’s not dead,” Roy suggests and he follows her to where Artemis is sleeping. With a few words, she and Artemis are gone.

Time to deal with the rest of the fallout and whatever else has come up. The League never runs out of things for them to do.

* * *

 

Artemis immediately moves to touch her leg and hip when she wakes-she seems startled to realize she doesn’t have a weapon on her.

“Hey. We’re in my apartment. You’re staying here until we get this mess fixed. And since everyone thinks you’re dead, I’m working on a glamor for you. Until then,  _ stay put.  _ Arsenal grabbed a box of stuff he thought you’d need or want from your apartment. I don’t know if you can go back yet, it might be compromised,” Zatanna says and Artemis takes in her healed skin, no jagged scars-she can see with both of her eyes.

“Great. I’m stuck as an indoor cat,” Artemis says and Zatanna sighs at her.

“I’ve got to go do League duties. There’s a house phone in the kitchen if you need something, along with a list of numbers. There’s plenty of food in the kitchen, and you can move into my guest bedroom for now,” Zatanna says and Artemis nods.

“Thanks,” Artemis says awkwardly. She’s not sure how to feel about Zatanna. Right now she’s being nice, but that’s only because she threw Artemis to the wolves.

_ She didn’t know. None of them knew. Not even Jade. That’s not her fault,  _ Artemis thinks to herself. Zatanna nods, and say a few words before she disappears in thin air.


	7. Safe

Eventually, Artemis gets up from the couch and looks in the kitchen. Zatanna’s kitchen is full of food, labeled containers and neat unopened packages. The phone sits in the cradle next to the counter on the fridge, a neat list of numbers and names. It’s 8:47 AM and she has no idea when Green Arrow found her, how long she’s been out. Time to call Roy, figure out a few things. Artemis doesn’t look at the list as she dials Roy and looks for coffee. 

“Hey, it’s me,” Artemis says and she can almost hear the sigh of relief on the other end.

“Hey did you see the box of stuff I got from your place?” Roy asks and Artemis looks around.

It’s not in the kitchen or the living room, Artemis is betting it’s in the guest bedroom. 

“Not yet,” Artemis answers as she peers into the guest bedroom Zatanna pointed at. There’s a lot of things to take in, but Artemis focuses on the cardboard box on the nightstand next to the bed.

“Found it,” Artemis says more for his benefit than hers. The box isn’t taped shut, but Artemis peers in. There’s clothes, her favorite jeans, a few jackets, shirts, and her favorite boots. He managed to sneak her damn  _ bow _ and a quiver in the box under the clothes. There’s a few books, a bag of the few thing she had in her bathroom, her perfume, her laptop and a few pairs of socks.

“You’re the best,” Artemis says and they can hear the smile in her voice.

“I put your knives in your boots. And I’m going to clean out the rest of your apartment in a few. My apartment can use some more furniture until you’re safe. Anything hidden I need to know about so I don’t leave anything behind?” Roy asks and Artemis thinks about her apartment, what Roy needs to know. They’re on the phone for another ten minutes, they need to make sure her landlady knows she’s not coming back and he can pay rent with what’s under her mattress.

“And Roy?” Artemis asks quietly.

“Yeah?” Roy asks.

“Take someone with you. I’m not sure how safe it is and two people would make it go faster. And do you know how Red’s doing?” Artemis asks.

“They’re fine. They’re in a safe house in Gotham,” Roy tells her and some of the tension leaves her body.

“How long do you think I’ll be stuck at Zatanna’s?” Artemis asks. She’d rather live with Roy at his apartment, with her stuff. Still, if she ever got him in trouble or someone ratted where she was-she doesn’t want to die in a firefight. 

“Not sure. Either way, sit tight for now. I’ll call when I get your apartment cleaned out and when I know more,” Roy promises and Artemis sighs but agrees. At least she has some weapons now. Not that she wants to hurt Zatanna, but old habits die hard and the weight is comforting.  Roy ends the call and Artemis decides she’s going to shower and make coffee. Maybe she’ll watch the news, read some of the books Roy thought to grab, and eat breakfast. It’s not an entirely bad morning, considering. 

* * *

“I’m not really a fan of having an assassin in my apartment,” Zatanna says lightly.

“As far as we know, she never killed anyone. On top of usual League concerns, we need to find Sportsmaster and see if we can get any more information on the Light and their plans,” Batman says and Zatanna wonders if he’s ever gotten a mask tan, if that’s a problem some of the Leaguers with masks have.

“Is anyone on that?” Zatanna asks.

“J’onn and M’gann are. Green Arrow’s working with Star City police to help convince the Light she’s dead,” Batman says. One fake police report about a dead girl in an alley. She could have been, dead in that grimy, dark alley. Bruce thinks about Artemis, she’s a year older than Dick, went to the same school as he did for a while when her mother was alive. Maybe he could have done more to prevent her fate. At least Artemis Crock is still alive and safe.


	8. Chapter 8

It’s weird to leave the Hall and know that someone is waiting for her at home. Zatanna lived with her dad and then with M’gann and Conner. Having someone in her apartment is unnerving-even the people she’s dated haven’t slept in her apartment. It’s been a while since she moved out of the Cave, so living with anyone is weird.

Surprisingly, her apartment is in perfect order, Artemis is clicking on something on a laptop Zatanna’s sure Roy packed for her.

“You aren’t contacting anyone, are you? No one can know you’re here,” Zatanna reminds her. Artemis looks up at that and watches Zatanna shut and lock the door.

“Who would I contact? My family’s in Justice League witness protection or whatever. I don’t have anyone to talk to online,” Artemis rolls her eyes. Working for the Light didn’t exactly make her friends. It made her enemies, messed up her life. At least Jade’s family will be fine. Zatanna looks at her with wary eyes.

“You aren’t going to email your assassin friends to come kill me and get you, right?” Zatanna asks. Artemis isn’t sure if she’s joking or not, she doesn’t know Zatanna well enough to tell.

“I don’t have friends. I had contacts and I had sources and the people who told me to jump or get on a plane. I’m not going to be missed,” Artemis tells her crisply. Zatanna can understand that, before she joined the Team she didn’t have friends. There were kids her age she’d talk to, but no one close, no one who knew who she and her father were. 

“How was work?” Artemis asks, reminding Zatanna she needs to speak. 

“Boring. Did you call one of the Roys, let them know you’re here and safe?” Zatanna asks. Artemis nods, looking up at her.

“I called Arsenal, he cleaned out my apartment. Everyone’s safe. How long am I staying with you?” Artemis asks. Zatanna sighs and sits next to her on the couch.

“No one knows. We have to find your dad and higher ups in the Light. I have an idea but I need some time to develop it and even then I’m not sure if the League will let you go without protection,” Zatanna admits, aware of how starkly different they are. Artemis takes that information in.

“Did you eat dinner?” Zatanna asks because she doesn’t want to cook and it’s been a long day.

“Nope,” Artemis says, and Zatanna hopes she likes pizza.


	9. Cats

The second day of living with Zatanna is better. Artemis wishes she had a cat, a dog, something to distract herself. She thinks back to Gotham, when she was out during the night-her mom was always asleep early. Sometimes it wasn’t even about getting away, sometimes it was just seeing Gotham, the action and the lights. Sometimes there were people, some in masks and some barefaced, other times, it was just the wind.

Catwoman was Artemis’s favorite, when she first wore her Tigress outfit, she complimented her and they talked. Artemis misses how they talked about cats, Cheshire or otherwise, Her dad made sure Catwoman didn’t come near her again, thatended with an angry shout and bruises on Artemis’s wrist. There have been too many days, too many long nights that she’s wondered, if her mom just lived, if that accident didn’t kill her-where she might have ended up. Maybe Artemis would have joined the Little League they must have for the sidekicks. The Junior Justice League or whatever they called it-that must have been fun-must have been who Zatanna grew up with.

Artemis wants to see Gotham again, see the view from her old roof, visit her mom. It’s been too long, Artemis can’t quite tell what city Zatanna lives in, but she knows it’s not Gotham.

As Artemis decides to make coffee, the phone rings in the kitchen. They haven’t talked about it, but Artemis decides not to pick it up. She’s a ghost, not dead, not alive, and definitely not in League powerhouse Zatanna Zatara’s apartment. She’s supposed to be dead in an alley in Star City, that’s what everyone thinks happened. She wonders if she can press for details, if they had a fake body delivered, if anyone tried to see if it was her on a cold morgue table.

“Don’t pick up, just listen. We have a partial solution for you. I’ll be home late, there’s food in the fridge, if anyone comes by, check the peephole. See you tonight,” Zatanna says and the phone alerts her that she has a new voicemail, but she’ll let Zatanna deal with deleting it.

Artemis makes coffee, checks in with Arsenal, there isn’t much information he can give up. Her apartment is clean, everything’s gone, rent has been paid, he let her landlady know she moved.

“I didn’t see the harm in saying that. She won’t connect the unclaimed girl who died in an alley in Star City to her favorite tenant moving out,” Roy says, she can almost see him shrug.

“I wasn’t her favorite,” Artemis says, thinking about all of her interactions with her the grayhaired landlady.

“You once gave her brownies in lieu of ten bucks you were missing for rent. You scared off creeps more than once. She said she’ll really miss you, _Natalie,_ ” Roy says and Artemis rolls her eyes.

“Do you know where in Gotham they are?” Artemis asks, knowing he’ll know she means Jade, Roy, and Lian.

“No. I’ve talked to them though, Jade wants you to stay safe. We all do but she said she’d kick your ass if you weren’t around to be Lian’s godmother. I can’t be a single godparent alone you know,” Roy teases and Artemis finds her face cracking into a smile.

“I’m staying put. Scout’s honor and all that,” Artemis says and she hears him laugh.

“You were never in Girl Scouts,” Roy says. Artemis rolls her eyes at him.

“That’s beside the point. I’ll stay here. She’s not that bad. It’s just weird to live with her. Any news on Sportsmaster?” Artemis asks.

“I don’t know. I’ll let you know as soon as I do, okay?” Roy promises. He’s got League stuff to do but she doesn’t have much to do at all.

* * *

 

Zatanna is home after what seems like an eternity, finally there shrugging off her coat, locking the door and looking at Artemis sitting on her couch.

“Did you eat dinner?” Zatanna asks, Artemis wonders if they’re both aware of how domestic that sounds.

“Yeah. Where do you buy your pasta?” Artemis asks. The spaghetti she had a few hours ago was amazing.

“I make it all myself,” Zatanna says, and Artemis stares. Zatanna resists the urge to shift under her steady gaze, even after all her years with the Team she still has the urge to fill silence.

“Magic helps. Speaking of, I have another Leaguer helping me make something that will disguise your looks and voice to everyone but a few people,” Zatanna tells her. Thoughts of living with Roy or the rest of her family fill her head, Artemis doesn’t think when she opens her mouth.

“Is it Zatara? He’s your dad right? I saw a picture of you two in your room,” Artemis. Zatanna’s blue eyes become icy.

"You snooped! You went through my stuff!"

"I'm an outdoor cat stuck in your apartment. I got bored. Sorry. Is he not your dad?" Artemis says but she doesn't sound that sorry. Zatanna tries to remember that she has to have patience, only the Team and League know what happened to the man in the picture Artemis is referring to. It’s not a recent picture, it was a year before Nabu took over his body. She and her dad both look so young-it hurts her heart to look at it, hard to swallow, still hard not to cry just looking at it.

“Doctor Fate took over my dad’s body. So I’m working with him but also-not,” Zatanna says, not looking Artemis in the eye as she says it. The wall is a safer place to look, she doesn’t want to see curious eyes, doesn’t want to tell the story, doesn’t need to relive all the details about how much it sucked. Artemis doesn’t push, lets out a sigh of disappointment.

“I wish he could get stuck in someone else’s body. Or that I could get rid of Nabu all together,” Zatanna mutters. Artemis arches an eyebrow.

“Who’s Nabu?” Artemis asks. Zatanna sits in her armchair and begins the painful story, it’s not like telling one more person is going to make it better or worse. Artemis shifts and changes her position on the couch a few times but she focuses solely on the story. Maybe having Artemis in her apartment for a few days won’t be so bad, Zatanna thinks.


	10. Chapter 10

Artemis wonders what the future will be like. Eventually she’ll move out, be watched by the Justice League, live alone again. Maybe she’ll get Zatanna to share some of her recipes before that happens.

She can’t help but stare at the photo of Zatanna again, they both lost parents about that age. Artemis wonders what Zatanna has left of her father, all Artemis has is memories with fuzz around the edges, a few recipes gently burned into her brain from repetition. Maybe Jade has things from their mom-she doesn’t have a number to call the safe house. She’ll save the thought for later, to see if Roy can ask.

“You awake?” Zatanna asks as the door opens, Artemis wonders how she missed the sound of the door being unlocked.

“Yeah,” Artemis answers.

“We still haven’t tracked down Sportsmaster,” Zatanna sighs, setting her bag down. Artemis sits up.

“Where’d you look?” Artemis asks, thinking of all the safe places, all the rabbit holes, all of the odd meeting places, warehouses, every place he’s ever hidden and every place she’s seen or met him. Zatanna bites her lip, looks at Artemis with cautious eyes. Artemis rolls her eyes at the look on the other girl’s face.

“Since I’m under Justice League protection, I can spill all of his dirty secrets. Trust me, I want him to go down more than any of you do. I know things that might not even be in your files,” Artemis says honestly.

“Really?” Zatanna asks, it seems a little odd that Artemis is ready to throw her father to the League.

“He took my mom away from me. I wasn’t a daughter, I was a weapon. When Jade left, he told me he’d kill her if we both left. He knew where she was and I was a kid. So yeah, I stayed. I didn’t think there was another way to go. It’s not exactly like I could talk to a cop or a superhero to get help. Zatanna, you trust me to not kill you in your sleep, I trust you not to let me die or kill me-let me help you take down Sportsmaster,” Artemis meets her eyes.

“He’s your dad,” Zatanna says it like it’s a question.

“He didn’t raise me. He used me to get what he wanted, he didn’t want children-he wanted a dynasty,” Artemis clarifies.

“Do you want to see the scars he gave me? If I wasn’t fast enough, if I wasn’t accurate enough, if I wasn’t enough-I had a mark to show for it. That’s not a parent. That’s not what they do. Parents are supposed to protect their children, not throw them to the monsters with the sharpest teeth,” Artemis shakes her head, Sportsmaster might be part of her DNA, but he wasn’t a dad, wasn’t her dad.

“Okay. If you think you can help, we’ll go to the Hall in a few minutes,” Zatanna says after a few seconds. Nightwing is on duty, she’ll let him know they’re coming.

* * *

 

“That’s every place I can think of. Those are the contact numbers I remember off the top of my head. And I’m working on his aliases,” Artemis holds up the notepad they gave her. Nightwing gives a look to Zatanna and Artemis squints.

“You remind me of a guy I went to school with a million years ago,” Artemis says, thinking of the rich oddball a year below her. She can’t remember the name, she didn’t get a yearbook that year, there’s no way to figure out the name now. Artemis hasn’t thought of what’s-his-face in years. Nightwing moves to check something on one of the computers and laughs.

“I don’t get that often,” Nightwing says lightly. Artemis snorts.

“I’m sure you get more comments about how great you look in your costume,” Artemis mutters and Zatanna manages to cover her laugh with a cough. For a few minutes Zatanna watches them both, Artemis writing names and Nightwing typing and clicking in the near silence.

“I’m done. That’s everything,” Artemis says. Nightwing turns and reaches for the paper in her hands as one of the tubes lights up.

“That’s Doctor Fate,” Artemis says and he looks at her with Zatara’s eyes. She doesn’t know Nightwing or Zatanna well, but they both tense as he walks in the room, Nightwing seems to move himself between the two Zataras.

Maybe she and Zatanna are more alike than Artemis thought.


	11. Chapter 11

Despite the obvious tension in the room, nothing happens. He leaves a necklace on the table and disappears. Zatanna almost flinches when Doctor Fate disappears and Artemis watches Nightwing relax. There’s a question in his eyes and it almost seems like he and Zatanna are having a conversation with just their faces-he touches her shoulder and she shakes her head. It’s probably rude to move to see them better and the conversation is over before Artemis does move.

Zatanna picks the necklace up, it’s cute but Artemis wonders what the significance of it is. Zatanna looks back at her and Artemis remembers she’s supposed to be writing down aliases. There are a few more that come to mind before she runs out.

“If you have to lure him out, I can help. He’ll want to see if I’m really dead. And when he realizes I’m not, he’ll want to kill me like he killed my mom,” Artemis tells them as she sets the pen and notepad down. Nightwing looks at her and she meets his gaze.

“He didn’t kill your mother,” Nightwing says and Artemis shakes her head.

“Maybe he didn’t kill her himself, but that accident killed her. He knew the risk and she wanted out-she wanted to leave the game. She told me she wanted out for my sake and my sister’s. Sportsmaster made her go on that last job with him and it killed her. He’s responsible for that,” Artemis tells him. 

Dick wonders why she and her sister weren’t taken away from Sportsmaster-if they knew what was going on back then. But then, Sportsmaster isn’t like his daughter, he can picture a nice foster family, dead and the girls stolen back. Zatanna had told him everything Artemis had told her, he remembers her line about how he didn’t want children, just a dynasty. 

He wonders how Sportmaster’s doing with one “dead” daughter and another in hiding from him. His legacy will die with him, neither of them will continue it-his life work will be gone. Dick thinks about calling his dad, they have their differences but he's always known Bruce loved him and cared. He can't imagine growing up like that-if Bruce hadn't taken him in after his parents died, he might have had uncaring parents. He wouldn't be where he is now.

“Hey, Nightwing-if you see Catwoman before you arrest her next time or something-can you tell her I say hi? If she’s cleared to know I’m alive or whatever,” Artemis says carefully.

Zatanna raises an eyebrow.

"I used to see her when I lived in Gotham. She helped me with my costume," Artemis says. Nightwing and Zatanna exchange a glance and Nightwing looks to Artemis.

"We'll see," Nightwing says. It's interesting to be in the Hall again, under much different circumstances.

"That's everything," Artemis says, gesturing to the notepad on the table.

* * *

 

She gets dropped off at the apartment again and decides to look through Zatanna’s movies. Maybe she’ll find something good to kill her time. Later, she’ll ask about Doctor Fate, the necklace and Nightwing. 

“Jackpot,” Artemis whispers as she sees a familiar box. There’s popcorn somewhere in the kitchen, she’s going to have a  _ very _ productive afternoon.

* * *

 

“I know your secret,” Artemis announces as Zatanna walks through the door. Zatanna tenses even though Artemis is sprawled on her couch in a tanktop and leggings. She’s still in her costume from work and it takes her a second to process Artemis’s words and lock the door. 

“Oh yeah? What’s my secret?” Zatanna asks, sitting next to her on the couch. The smile on her face reaches her mischievous brown eyes and Zatanna raises an eyebrow in response.

“You may seem all cool and mysterious, but you-” Artemis begins dramatically. Zatanna looks at her with fake wide eyes.

“Are  _ a nerd, _ ” Artemis finishes and Zatanna laughs and her eyes flicker to the TV screen.

“You found my Buffy boxset,” Zatanna laughs and hits play. 


	12. Good and Bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame two wonderful people making me watch Megamind for this chapter. You know who you are.

“You’ve always been good?” Artemis asks, later that night. Zatanna pauses and looks at her for a long moment.

“It-just seemed natural to me. My dad was in the League, I just assumed he’d train me and then I’d join one day too. Bad didn’t seem like an option,” Zatanna admits as she sits next to Artemis on the couch. It’s been so  _ odd, _ living with Artemis. They’ve had some enlightening conversations lately. They’re not quite friends but Zatanna knows she’s been looking forward to talking to her today. Maybe that’s bad, but it seems so unlikely that this is all just one big scheme to infiltrate the League. Artemis seems too honest with her for this to be an act.

“Being bad never seemed like an option. I knew if I wasn’t good, doing the right thing, my dad would tell me. I knew that if I went too far or I went bad, I knew the League would stop me. I grew up looking up to the powerhouses of the League, training with them, being friends with them-there’s no way I could have ever gone down another path,” Zatanna tells her, images of Leaguers taking her down fill her head, the glow of Nabu and the disappointed face of her father under his helmet-she cringes.

“That makes sense,” Artemis mutters. She knows that going good wouldn’t have been an option for her, not with her mother dead and cold, not with a supervillian sister. It definitely wasn’t an option when her father trained her to try and run his empire, learn what he wanted her to know and almost nothing else. There were too many people that would have hunted her down to drop her at her father’s doorstep, but now-the idea seems possible.

If she’s under League protection-she could be good, join the junior Justice League, be a hero. Maybe she could make her mother proud-be good with a capital G. For some reason, she wonders if she’d fight alongside Zatanna, instead of against her-not that they ever really fought.

“I don’t think I’d know what to do if I wasn’t in the League. I just wanted to be like my dad when I was a kid. If we didn’t have supervillians and the League, I honestly don’t know what else I would be doing right now,” Zatanna admits.

“You’d make a killing as a stage magician in Vegas,” Artemis grins. 

Zatanna rolls her eyes at that. The doorbell rings and Zatanna gets off the couch, money ready to go. Artemis pauses the episode and slips out of sight, until she hears Zatanna shut and lock the door again. Technically, she’s pretty sure she could just leave Zatanna’s apartment. Artemis could try just walking out and never coming back but she doesn’t want to. Zatanna is nice and she’s safe. The only thing she really worries about is-Zatanna. The thought makes her feel uneasy-like when she was in school and realized there was a test that day she didn’t study for enough. 

She doesn’t have to worry about keeping hunted by the League, tripping up and being punished by the League of Shadows or worse-her father. Artemis doesn’t have to move from one city to another, jump when people tell her to, doesn’t have to keep that heavy secret that weighed her down for so many years-it came out and she’s relieved.

“Artemis? Can you grab two plates while you’re in the kitchen?” Zatanna asks and Artemis does that wordlessly. 

There’s a plan forming in her mind but it’s hard to think when they’re splitting up the Chinese food and Buffy talking in the background. They’ve both seen the episode a few times, and Artemis saves the plan for later. She has nothing but time to get it right.


	13. Caught

It’s a few weeks before Artemis is taken back to the Hall of Justice. Batman, Green Arrow, Nightwing, and Miss Martian are there as she walks in behind Zatanna.

“We want your help to take down Sportsmaster,” Batman begins and Artemis glances at Zatanna, who confirms that with a nod. It’s not that she doesn’t trust Batman, she does because he seems like such a  _ dad _ -in a way Sportsmaster never was-she wants to know if Zatanna knew about this already.

“I wouldn’t mind playing bait if I’m not alone,” Artemis offers, looking around. Miss Martian has short red hair, and glowing green eyes when Artemis looks at her. She can change that to any look, and if they didn’t have such an extensive file on her dad-maybe Miss Martian would be playing her at the trap instead. 

There are a few different ways that could fail, but she’d love to be able to read her father’s mind-actually-she mentally shakes her head at that. She doesn’t want a look into that hell hole, actually. Artemis wants to ask Miss Martian how often she sees things she doesn’t want to see, or secrets she wants to wipe out with brain bleach. People can be nasty and horrible-just like her father.

“Good,” Batman says, and lays out the plan, looking at her for a second before he points to the screen in front of the assembled group. Artemis wonders if he remembers what she said when she was out, Roy told her she asked if he thought Batman would adopt her. He continues talking and she pays attention, wondering how often Batman gets sidekicks-and what it would take to be one.

* * *

 

It’s weird being up in the morning, getting ready when Zatanna is. 

“Are we leaving?” Artemis asks. She’s ready to go, even if she skipped breakfast-she’s a little too nervous to eat. Zatanna shakes her head,  and something in her hands shines in the sunlight. She reaches out to Artemis, with it in her hands-it takes a second for her to recognize it. It’s the necklace Doctor Fate gave Zatanna and Artemis raises an eyebrow.

“Here,” Zatanna takes a step closer, and Artemis swallows reflexively. She and Zatanna are friends and they sit on the same couch all the time, but there’s barely a few inches between them. All of her old training is screaming at her to get away, get distance, make distance, to not let anyone get close like this. Zatanna’s already too close in the other sense, and she’s very close physically. 

_ Relax, it’s just a necklace. Zatanna’s not going to hurt you. This isn’t a trap. You’re fine,  _ Artemis thinks to herself.

“This necklace will change your appearance to everyone but the League and your father. If he brings company with him to this meeting, they won’t recognize you,” Zatanna informs her as Artemis dutifully holds her hair up for her. Artemis remembers the plans, she just needs to stick to Batman’s and then hers. If all goes well, they’ll catch her dad, and she’ll be on track to make her mother proud.

* * *

 

He comes alone into the coffeeshop. The blinds are down, no one can see inside, and there’s only a handful of people inside. The only people in there are Leaguers in plainclothes, Artemis doesn’t recognize all of them. She wonders how they swung that-if they know the owner or if they paid them off to have it be closed for the day-but she watches her father walk past Leaguers pretending to work on laptops and phones, sipping coffee and talking.

“Artemis,” he says among the white noise of everyone else and it sounds like a question and an accusation. Either way it’s a knife aimed at her. She’s been living with Zatanna for a few months now, and she doesn’t feel alone in this coffee shop. It feels like the entire room is waiting for her to say something, for her to breathe, react, anything-even though they’re still pretending to be normal people drinking coffee.

“Yup, it’s me,” she admits, not breaking eye contact-and he lunges over a table to try and reach her. She can feel someone grabbing her and moving her back as her father hovers in midair-eyes trained on her.

“I’m gonna get you for this, baby girl. You betrayed the Light and you betrayed  _ me. _ I make good on my promises, I’m gonna have one less daughter soon,” he threatens. Artemis gives him a cheerful grin.

“Good luck trying to figure out where she is when you’re being interrogated by the League. Good talk dad, let’s _ not _ do this soon,” the words come out cold. She can feel her father’s eyes on her and she wonders if the ice in hers remind him of himself-she wonders if she got her mother’s eyes or his. He’s glaring at her, still frozen in the air-the girl with long pink hair shifts back to looking more recognizable-Miss Martian.

Artemis looks to Zatanna instead. She hopes her face says  _ are we done yet _ and Zatanna nods.

“Nice work,” Nightwing compliments, and Zatanna nods for the both of them, as she walks Artemis out.

“Are you okay?” Zatanna asks hesitantly, concern written on her face. Artemis shakes her head.

“Not really,” Artemis admits. As well as she can be for knowing her dad still wants to kill both of his children, and that the Light probably does too. Zatanna nods wordlessly, and they walk away.

“Where are we going?” Artemis asks, looking at the people passing by, living their normal lives, grabbing coffee and walking their dogs.

“We’re grabbing lunch because I’m hungry and you didn’t eat much at breakfast,” Zatanna tells her and Artemis nods, taking that in.

“Can I see him, after you’re done with your interrogations? I told you guys I recommended more than just conventional restraints right?” Artemis asks and Zatanna nods in confirmation.

“You did, this was hard, let’s just focus on getting some food right now. We can talk about him later after you get something in your system. We can’t do much right now other than take care of ourselves. So tell me, what do you want for lunch?” Zatanna asks and a little piece of worry slips away.

The thought occurs to her that she and Zatanna haven’t really been out, she’s been out with the Roys and Zatanna a few, careful times, but not in broad daylight. It’s the necklace she’s wearing, letting her be free without being hunted. 

Artemis tries to think about lunch instead, tucking the thoughts away for later review.


	14. girl with a plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely love this chapter and I'd love to hear your opinions on it!

It’s a few days before she’s alone with her father. Really alone, although she’s almost embarrassed how much planning she puts into it. No one with superhuman hearing is there, neither of the mind readers, and Zatanna promises her she’ll be just a room away, if she needs help or he gets free. 

Zatanna. Artemis feels bad-the pretty magician is her best friend-at this point the closest friend she’s ever had. She’s not sure if that’s depressing or not-but she still trusts Zatanna. She’s a good person. A good person in a lot of pain-and if she messes this up-she’s really going to hurt Zatanna Zatara. Artemis wonders if she’d end up hurting her either way, and she keeps her face neutral as Zatanna smiles at her.

Artemis mimics her smile and walks into the room alone. The door is shut and she knows no one will be able to hear her unless they bugged him. He’s not in Belle Reve yet-and she knows his guard schedule. She doesn’t have long for this plan to work, or for him to believe her. He scowls as she enters the room, and she knows this is her greatest test to date.

“Why haven’t they taken me to Belle Reve?” her father asks and she resists the urge to look smug.

“Because I wanted to talk to you before they did,” Artemis tells him simply and he laughs.

“You don’t have that kind of power around here,” he says it like it’s a fact he knows-and stares into her eyes.

“Maybe I don’t, but Zatanna does, and I have her wrapped around my finger. You don’t know everything that’s going on around here,” Artemis tells him, careful to sound bored.

“Why are you here?” Sportsmaster asks, watching her lean against the wall.

“I have a plan to get you out of this room, but I need you to agree to a few conditions before I get you out,” Artemis says, the words come out perfectly. Her father looks at her with interested eyes and she can almost  _ see _ the wheels in his head turn.

“What are the conditions?” he asks instead of anything else. He doesn’t ask if she’s still on his side, or the Light’s side, or if she’s lying, or what this will cost him.

“You don’t kill anyone on the way out, you don’t kill me or Jade and her family. You don’t let it slip I let you out-to anyone,” Artemis informs him and he nods. She knows how he works, she knows he’s going to say yes, and she knows the guard change will be soon-and there will be a guard in with him soon.

“What’s your plan?” he wonders and she lets herself grin.

“Do you know Doctor Fate?” Artemis asks and he nods, waiting for her to continue.

“Zatara’s in full control of him, all of those powers and all of that magic. You don’t have to be magic to control Doctor Fate. If you can convince Fate you want to take up the mantle-you can become him. Zatara won’t be as powerful and won’t be able to stop you when you become him for a few minutes. You get to choose when you’re Fate, another powerhouse in the Light, and public perception of heroes will change after you wreck havoc as Doctor Fate,” Artemis tells him and her father takes that in for a moment.

“You know this for sure?” her father squints at her.

“Yeah. Zatara is Zatanna’s dad. We’re now close friends, she told me  _ all  _ about it,” Artemis tells him and he sighs at that. She’s pretty sure he never wanted her to have friends, let alone  _ a _ friend. They look at the clock on the wall near the cell at the same time.

“We have a deal. I knew you were the smart one, baby girl,” he says and she fakes a grin at that.

* * *

 

Doctor Fate enters the containment room as she keeps Zatanna busy with questions about Nightwing and some of the Leaguers on duty. A pretty girl that Zatanna introduces as Rocket smiles at her hesitantly and Artemis gives her a genuine smile. Rocket smiles back and she and Zatanna start talking about their other friends and plans. Artemis keeps her eyes trained on the door-and Zatanna’s father walks in and Zatanna drops the papers in her hands.

Blue eyes are filled with tears and she almost tackles her father.

“How did he let you go?” Zatanna asks. Zatara points to Artemis, almost frozen in place with shock. Her plan worked. Her father is gone and technically in prison. He’ll always be doing good, overridden by Nabu constantly. Zatanna has her father back, and hopefully the League can forgive her for not sending Sportsmaster to Belle Reve. Being stuck in one place forever, unable to move his own body or make his own choices-or be evil or fight with the Light-she knows all of those things are his own personal hell-and she just sent him there.

Zatanna stares at her wide-eyed and Artemis holds her breath, waiting for something to happen.


End file.
